The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-12-08
Table Mountain being fat on top like q

thule, ueuCe tu6 Uhule. az. HtL'' lN
When had crossed Fine Gold rivor
came to the Table mountains, and from
thence on. I had no difficulty In follow.
Ing the cnurse Of the atrean. for I had
only 10 walk along the top OF the mount.
ain, which In Width varied from two hun.
dred feet to q mile. ! passed. on for miles
over mass Of ragged volcanic rock which
covered the whole summit Of the mount.
ain, and was usually moro than ono hun.
dred feet thick, 40 could eatlma!e II. where
1t yawned open In chssms, and along the
edges where II was breaking Of. ti07
/ WIS now drawing near the mouth oil
that venerable, dead river. could look
ahead along tho summit OF Table mountain
and could trace the windings Of the stream,
this way aud that, In and out In mighty
bends, Just as ono may atand on mount
ain and follow with his eye tho meandsr'
inga oil the Monongshela or the kanswha
1t was Bcone Of solemnity and msgnia.
cence, that old rivers course, following
along tho uumnlt OF mountain, and the
mountain i,aelf trembling thi, way and thai
In Obedience to the windings and mean.
derings OF tho river! And all the top oil
the mountain plsln the width OF the
mighty streAn, aud extending, bend be.
yond bend, and curve and sweep, as far sa
eye could see, or until Lost among the hills
in the distanrel Aud all this immense
channel, now the summit OF the mountain,
a mara OF rick Ike the pavement OF a
street! II ID the lava that filed The river.
Thus, l followed the Table mountains
southwark; bend after bend, until reach.
oil the deep zap through which the San
Josquin breaks Its passages. II comes in
from the eeat. and has buro!ed itself a
channel directly through tho Table noun
tain, just as the Srfquehauna has broken
through tho mountains Of Pennsylvania,
or the Potomac through that at Harpsr's
Ferry. soa,
From tha. ominence could SEQ the 70.
naming course OF the old river. Beyond
the Ddu joaquin 1t extended Home dis.
lance, then was broken up for awhile and
Loaf, then toward the west could geo 1t
Sgsiu, finally Hinkirg lower, until 1t ter.
minated In tho edge Of the plsiu which Ia
now tho Baain OF Lake Tu,are, but WAS
then the inland Gulf, as have aa;d.
This must hsvs been tho mouth Of the
river. Everything that know of the
geography and geology Of the section
strengthens this beli.f In fact, 1t sesmg
to me 80 eyidsn! that AZ, surprised that
1t has not been observed by everyone who
hes paid any attention to the subject.
Tbs mouth oil that river could not hayo
been as much 40 ten mica from old Fort
Miller,on, on the San Joaquin river.
1t ia in the beds Of these old rivers that
the richest gold mines OF California hsva
boon found; and the great SYSTEMS Of
Hydraulic mining have beon to clear the
rubbish aud debris from the chaunels, in
order that the gold may BIO gotten at. In
many places this rubbish Is hundreds Of
feet deep, iiliinS the old channels sntiroly
full, 80 that lc.es.s nov grow over than
| This rubbish Is aaud and -ockH which have
been washed Ia there for asss. The gold
diggers have long been ct work removing
this debris, and ctill arc at work. The
gold Is fcund, for the most part, a. tbs
bottom, on the bed rock over which tbs
dyer flowed. Where the work has been
completed, one eau SOC the old channels
jus. IS they wers when tho water cssssd
lowing there; aud the magnitude OF SONS
Of them, their vida and depth, ia smsz
ing. Some of the channels would contain
the Ohio with the iaod ot1SSi. I have
seen tho work Of removing tho rubbish in
progress. The miners were at work alony
the bottoms oil the excavations, on tho bed
rock OF the channel, and az stocd on the
brink above and looked down at them,
they seemed no larger than su:s, so lsr
beneath me were thsy. Yet, was only
on the bank Of thas aNcisnt river. and
thsy were ct the bottom OF the channel.
What Tn immense aud magnificent strssm
that was So deep that to stand on the
5shk aud look doHn into tho dry channe.
IGs Ike standing on 4 N ountS;;i aud look
Ing down into a deep valley. AT another
place. 200 miles further south, stood on
ore BANK, and measured by trigouor. try,
and found it a fraction moro than forty.
eight hundred feet. This Tss only u little
lees than milo, and at this place the
chsa1sl was Loo fest deep, aud co not
know how III uGh more, aa 1t was filed
With lava end / could rot sec the bottom
am OF tho opinion, but cannot furnish
positive proc, that the two other riTe,g
mentioned hsu emp.ied into this one bs.
lore 1t reach9d this point; 90, Think TINT
he three rivers, after all, we're but tyibu.
tsriss Of tina same. Whsnous Looks a,:the
sizs Of this chsCnel be ID lost in the COM
putation Of what v.st floods CT water must
have passed down it. Although this Eng.
!iah geoioglat msy be in erIor In his theory
that this Is the aaciont colrss OF ths Co.,
umb's, got, a n..oAm OF no less volume
must have AoEed here.
l ahall not suggest thu geological aga
When these rivera ccs:ad to flow; that is,
when tho Sierra Nevada mountains vsre
!eleyated. BY thu upheavul of the noun.
tsiDs q new syateIG OF rivera wsa found
Thich flowed to tho west aud crossed the
old Chsnnels. I Cannot determine how
long ego thu: hes bsen. But 1t YVES much
more recent than some persons suppose
who judge only by tho magnitude Of the
washiugs Of this lsttsr Bys.e 81 OF riysrs,
Many. things iodicats thnt tho wster
t.o%Cd in those ancient rivera up to CON.
parasivsiy recent TINA. Among other
things, the finding OF petri6ed salmon in
thess old channels support the theory
that these, faL Inhabited the rivers. which.
II correct, would much lesesn tho ago that
is usuelly as cribol to thu Sierra Nevada.
IhsVe frequently taken OCCASION to re-
marx the rapid changes going Oh among
the rocks. ClifH and canous Of tho Sierras,
These mountains are cut up with abyaes
and ravinsS Of friSh,iul depth; but that,
OF itself, is 10 Indication ofthe age OF the
mountains. These rsvines are worn down
to c greet depth in brisf epace Of time
Tor the abrasion which s!reeua OF running
water, or even heavy rsin, produces
among tho soft granite and porphyry
formation is wonderful. Thess rocks dia
solve in. the rain almost like salt or sugar.
and enc hard storm will wash more sand
ard debris from tho face Of Sierra nreci.
plce than ten years will effect On tho eand-
stone cliff Of the Alleglaniea. For this
reason, when We eco a Sierra canon a
thousand feet deep, We are apt to over
estimste the time tho river has been In
wearing 1t to shss dspth. Tho washing
away OF tho rocks in thu bottom of the
streams is very rapid. Ihsve seen place
in the gold waahirg where tho solid rrsn.
lite Was laid bsrs in 1852, and since then
the Eater haa worn channels Dix fest deep
lin the e1lid rock snd +b;o